The Showa Museum of Everyday Life is located in a peaceful residential area of Kitanagoya City, and is loved by people of all ages as a place where you can experience everyday life in the Showa era. The museum, which is attached to a library, can be accessed by bus or on foot from Nishiharu Station, which is about 14 minutes from Nagoya Station on the Meitetsu Inuyama Line.

Inside the museum, nostalgic Showa-era items and signs, as well as recreated alleys and stores, are on display, transporting visitors back to the Showa era. A typical house from that time has also been faithfully recreated, and the old-fashioned kitchen and reception room allow visitors to get a feel for what life was like back then. Admission is free, and it's easy to visit any time except on regular holidays.

The Showa Museum of Everyday Life, which began collecting materials related to daily life in the Showa period in earnest in 1993, currently boasts a collection of approximately 150,000 items, of which approximately 10,000 are on permanent display. The wide range of exhibits allows you to fully enjoy the world of the Showa period.

Reasons for the transition from the Kofun period to the Showa period

"The Showa retro boom has been going on for about 30 years, and its appeal spreads across generations," says Yoshinori Ichihashi (former director, now curator). Ichihashi was involved in the launch of the Kitanagoya City History and Folklore Museum two years before it opened in 1990. Initially, the museum was a facility to exhibit clay figurines from the Kofun period, but many of the items donated from the local community were daily necessities from the Showa period. Ichihashi was distressed that he had to turn down items that were not eligible for donations, but he began to think about collecting "things" from the Showa period.

"While I was dealing with prehistoric artifacts, I was concerned about the current situation in which 'objects' that reflect the major changes in life between the 1950s and 1960s were being overlooked and discarded," says Ichihashi. In order to create a place that would be used by many people within a limited budget, Ichihashi began to seriously collect materials from life in the Showa period in 1993 (Heisei 5).

"Many people wanted to donate their items not because they didn't need them, but because they had fond memories and wanted to treasure them," says Ichihashi. Ichihashi also interviewed the owners about their memories of the items and carefully recorded everything. The collection has now been published as five books by Kawade Shobo Shinsha. Perhaps it is because the items are filled with so many memories that people who see them feel nostalgia and warmth.

A unique exhibition method that sparks laughter and conversation

The Showa Museum of Everyday Life uses an exhibition method that allows visitors to experience the lifestyle of that era through "objects." For example, Ichihashi told us that even when exhibiting a single electric rice cooker, they also place importance on the presence of "objects" related to the surrounding area.

The story of the electric rice cooker emerges by combining and displaying curry packages, plates, cups, spoons, etc. Ichihashi explains that by displaying the electric rice cooker under one theme, along with short, easy-to-understand catchphrases, rather than explaining the electric rice cooker in long sentences, viewers can experience the story, according to Ichihashi.

What sets this museum apart from other museums is that it is a space where visitors naturally recall their own memories and experiences, and as they talk to each other, communication is born. "When young people see the exhibits, they scream, 'Ahhh! It's so cute!'" Ichihashi said happily. At this museum, people of all ages, including young people, can enjoy the Showa era, and it is currently a lively space where laughter never stops.

Psychotherapy using old photos, music, and household items to talk about past experiences and memories is called reminiscence therapy, and is a social approach to revitalize the brain and invigorate the mind. Ichihashi happily told us that the exhibition at the "Showa Everyday Life Museum" has become such a place.

The role of museums in contributing to the local community and as a tourist destination

The Showa Museum of Everyday Life also plays an important role in terms of contributing to the local community and tourism. Showa retro also plays a part in revitalizing the local area, with products being released in collaboration with the Fujipan Nishiharu Factory. In addition, at the city hall cafe "Ina Cafe" next to the museum, you can enjoy "Retro Showa Curry" as a collaborative menu with the "Showa Museum of Everyday Life." In this way, the "Showa Museum of Everyday Life" is also active in local collaborations.

Akiyoshi Ito, the current director of the museum, spoke about his vision for the museum's future, saying, "The charm of the Showa Museum of Everyday Life is that it is a place where people of all ages can stand in front of the exhibits and have lively conversations and smiles. We want it to contribute not only as a museum, but also as a hub for local interaction and tourism."

The Showa Museum of Everyday Life is not just an exhibition facility for the Showa era, but a place where people gather, reminisce and smiles abound, and will continue to inspire many people.

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Facility name: Kitanagoya City History and Folklore Museum (Showa Everyday Life Museum)

Address: 3rd floor, Kitanagoya City Library, 53 Kumanosho Osakaki, Kitanagoya City, Aichi Prefecture, 481-0006

Access: 25 minutes on foot from Nishiharu Station on the Meitetsu Inuyama Line

HP: https://www.city.kitanagoya.lg.jp/rekimin/

*For details on business hours and holidays, please check the link above.